Annexon Biosciences, a biopharmaceutical company pioneering the development of classical complement pathway inhibitors to treat complement-mediated neurodegenerative diseases (CMND), today announced the appointments of two industry executives to its leadership team. Effective immediately, Mario Saltarelli, M.D., Ph.D., joins as Chief Medical Officer, and Susan Kramer, Dr.P.H., joins as Vice President, Product Development.

“Drs. Saltarelli and Kramer join us with extensive executive and industry experience, including proven drug development expertise across all phases, which will be critical as we bring our product candidates to the clinic to treat patients suffering from Huntington’s and Alzheimer’s diseases,” said Doug Love, President and Chief Executive Officer of Annexon. “Their combined talents will greatly assist in leveraging our platform approach to inhibiting the classical complement pathway to develop treatments for patients suffering from debilitating disorders involving complement-mediated neurodegeneration.”

Dr. Saltarelli joins Annexon with career long leadership expertise in neurodegeneration drug development. He most recently served as Senior Vice President and Chief Science Officer at Mallinckrodt Pharmaceuticals, and previously served as Senior Vice President of Research and Development at Shire. Earlier in his career, Dr. Saltarelli held senior R&D leadership positions at Abbott (now AbbVie) and Pfizer. Dr. Saltarelli completed training in medicine, neuropharmacology and neurology at The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine.

“Annexon’s distinct approach gets to the root of the pathological process common to many neurodegenerative diseases by targeting the C1q pathway to halt the loss of nerve connections involved in the decline of brain function,” said Dr. Saltarelli. “I was drawn to Annexon by the opportunity to realize the full potential of its first-in-kind classical complement pathway inhibitors as we advance towards the clinic to treat patients suffering from debilitating diseases.

Dr. Kramer joins Annexon with extensive experience in product development and translational science. She most recently managed project and portfolio planning at KaloBios, and previously served as Vice President of Product Development at XOMA and Anesiva, respectively. Earlier, Dr. Kramer was co-founder and Vice President of Research and Development at Corthera, after having held several R&D positions at Genentech, Inc. over a period of 18 years, most recently as Senior Director of Development Sciences Operations and Strategic Planning.

“Annexon has a comprehensive and unique approach to developing compounds for neurodegenerative diseases and other disorders that could help patients and families affected by these devastating conditions,” said Dr. Kramer. “I am excited to be joining a team that has produced robust data in models of neurodegeneration with lead drug candidate, ANX005, a humanized monoclonal antibody that inhibits early components of the classical complement cascade.”

About Annexon
Annexon Biosciences is leading the development of therapeutic products that halt the progression of complement-mediated neurodegeneration (CMND). Annexon’s antibody pipeline is based on breakthrough research involving the classical complement pathway and the unique role of its initiating molecule, C1q, in the loss of nerve connections, inflammation, and neuronal death. Backed by a team of experts in CMND, Annexon’s mission is to rapidly advance disease-modifying therapies for patients with Alzheimer’s disease, Huntington’s disease and other acute and chronic neurodegenerative disorders.